Bottle carrier



June 5, 1962 L. c. GisH 3,037,662

' BOTTLE CARRIER /3 y 76' fa; v

June 5, 1962 L. C. GISH 3,037,662

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. o( ML BYZ:

June 5, 1962 L. c. GlsH 3,037,662

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JNVENToR.

ite States atent 3,937,6@2 Patented .irme 5, 1962 3,037,662 BOTTLECARRIER Lyman C. Gish, Rittrnan, Ohio, assigner to Packaging Corporationof America, Rittman, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 14,1960, Ser. No. 2,471 6 Claims. (Cl. 220115) This invention relates tocartons made of paperboard or other appropriate sheet material and it isdirected particularly to structural and functional modifications ofbottle carrier cartons of the type shown generally in the patents ofMichael H. Kowal No. 2,692,700, granted October 26, 1954, and No.2,712,397, granted July 5, 1955, and particularly in applicantscopending application for patent for Bottle Carrier, tiled March 12,1959, Serial No. 798,942, now patent No. 2,996,216, granted August 15,1961.

In bottle carrier cartons of these types it has been found desirable toprovide a central partition member which 'will extend from the upwardlyprojecting carrying handle into close proximity to, or against, thebottom wall of the carton in order to prevent contact of the bottles inthe two rows thereof arranged longitudinally of the carton -at oppositesides of the carrying handle, and it is also desirable to providetransverse partition members which similarly extend downwardly intoproximity to the bottom to prevent contact between the lbottles formingthese rows.

To this end one object of the invention is to provide a bottle carriercarton with this said type of partition mem bers in a form which willpermit flatfolding of the carton `as is desired and which requires nospecial manipulation of such partition members for their functionallocation when the carton is set up for use.

Another object is to provide in an integral sheet material blank parts,defined by cuts and folding scores, which, in the assembled, andultimately erected, carrier will form the desired central partition, butwhich form scrap ywithin the area of a blank of the size normallyemployed for the construction of a carrier of this general type but notprovided with such a central partition, and to provide, in addition,elements comprising the said transverse partition members also formed,at least in part, from scrap areas of said blank and adapted to beassembled lwith the blank.

A further object is to provide the transverse partition members asindividual elements, or as integers comprising two of the said memberswhich may be separated into the individual elements dur-ing the cartonassembling and gluing operation, or as integers of two of the saidmembers in which the said members are defined from each other by linesof fracture to the end that the members of each such last describedinteger may be simnltaneously properly located upon the iiat blank andthus maintained during assembly of the blank to ultimate carrier form,but may separate upon such lines of fracture upon erection of thecar-ton for use, the form that the said transverse partition members maytake being dictated by choice of the manufacturer and the type ofassembling and gluing machine used.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent from thefollowing description, the invention comprises a carrier carton,particularly for bottles, and the sheet material elements of a blank forforming such carrier, including a bottom wall, side walls joined to thelongitudinal edges of the bottom wall along appropriate folding scores,end `wall sections joined to the end edges of the side walls andconnected together substantially medially of the bottom wall to providefull end walls spanning the ends of the bottom wall between the sidewalls, a handle member disposed medially of the bottom and side Walls,bottle compartment separator straps arfranged in spaced relation to eachother and to the eno' walls land transversely spanning the spacesbetween and connected with the side walls and handle member, andtransverse partition members carried by said compartment separatorstraps and extending downwardly therefrom into proximity to the bottomwall; and the invention includes, also, a partition mem-ber constitutinga downward extension of said handle member and serving, with saidtransverse partition members, to divide the interior of the carrier intoa plurality of separate, fully walled cells, said elements, with theexception of said transverse partition members, being formed as integralparts of a single blank of sheet material in which they are defined bycuts and folding scores, all as will be explained hereinafter more fullyand finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, l

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the inner face of a sheet material blank fromwhich the carton of the invention is constructed,

FIGS. 1a and 1b are plan views of one form of the two elements in whichthe individual transverse partition members for the six-cell cartonshown are defined by pre-formed lines of fracture,

FlGS. 1c and 1d are similar plan views of alternative forms oftransverse partition members,

FIGS. 2 to 5 are views similar to FIG. 1, but drawn to a smaller scale,showing the progressive steps of assembling, folding and adhesivelysecuring the various parts of the blank, including transverse partitionforming elements of the type shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, prior to itsfinal folding and securing,

FIGS. 6 and 7 show one of the outer faces of the finally flat-folded andsecured blank assembled from the parts shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the opposite sides and ends ofthe erected carrier carton of the assembly of FIGS. 2 to 7, FIG. 9showing a portion of the carton end wall broken away to expose theinterior.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the flat blankincludes a bottom wall comprising relatively foldable halves 1a and 1bjoined along a longitudinal folding score 2, and at the oppositelongitudinal edges of this dual bottom wall are side walls 3a and 3bjoined to such edges along folding scores 4a and 4b. At the opposite endedges of the side walls 3a and 3b and joinedv thereto along foldingscores 5a, 5a' and 5b, 5b are end wall sections 6a, 6a and 6b, 6bprovided, respectively, with complemental connecting flaps 7a, '7a' and7b, 7b' which may be folded upon their respective folding scores 8a, 8a'and 8b, 8b so that they may be adhesively secured together in pairs forcompleting the end walls from the end wall sections ta-6b and 6a-6b whenthe blank lis given its final assembly fold (FIGS. 6 and 7).

Extending outwardly in the blank from the side walls 3a and 3b, andoffset longitudinally thereof, are handle members 9a and 9b,respectively, which are defined from their side walls by cuts 10a and10b and are connected to such side walls by separator straps 11a, 11a'and 11b, 11b hinged on folding scores 12a, 12a and 12b, 12b. Theseparator straps 11a and 11b are connected tothe handle members 9a and9b on folding scores 13a and 13b, and the separator straps 11a' and 11bare connected to foldable handle reinforcing and partition formingelements 14a and 14b, respectively, on folding scores 15a and 15b. Cuts16a, 16a and 16h, 16h' separate the straps 11a, 11a and 11b, 11b fromtheir respective side walls, and cuts 17a and 17b separate the straps11a' and 3 11b from their respective structural elements 14a and 14h.

The handle members 9a and 9b are provided with ultimately mating handholes 18a and ISb, and the handle member 9b is provided with a finish ap19 foldable upon a folding score 20 over an extension 21 on the handlemember 9a, the thus folded flap 19 being appropriately secured, in theassembled blank, as by adhesive, to the extension 21 to provide astifening and reinforcing means for the handle assembly.

All of -the elements of the blank thus far described have theirstructural and functional counter-parts, disclosed in a slightlydifferent form, in the Kowal Patent No. 2,692,700 lhereinabove referredto.

Preferably the end wall elements 7a and 7b will be provided with cutsdefining ultimately mating and adhesively joined hooks 22a and 22bengageable with an adjacent edge 23 of the bottom wall la, 1b to servein locking the carton in erected condition With its bottom wall portionslla and 1b in substantially at coplanar arrangement.

As hereinbefore stated the carrier carton of the invention is preferablyprovided with a longitudinal center partition extending from the handleportion to the bottom Wall of the erected carrier without increasing theusual area of the blank for a carton of this general character. In otherwords the center partition will be formed from parts of the blank whichwould normally constitute scrap, and they are so arranged and connectedtogether and to other elements of the carton structure, particularlythose forming the end walls and handle member, as not only to producethe desired partition but also to make the whole erected carton strongerand more rigid and the handle member better adapted to support the loadof the filled carton. Furthermore, the connection of these partitionforming elements tothe handle members makes them serve, with the joinedhandle members, to form a combined partition and handle member.

To this end, that portion of the blank which lies between the proximateends of the end wall elements 6a and 6b, and which in the assembledblank forms the partition panel 24, is severed upon a cut 25 definingone of its edges 25 and the bottom edge of the end wall element 6b, andupon the cut 23 which forms another one of its edges 26 as Well as theaforementioned end edge of the bottom wall elements 1a and 1b. The panel24 has its third edge separated from the blank by a cut 27 which alsoforms the bottom edge of the end wall element 6a, and a tab 28 providedby a cut 28', which serves also to deline the hook 22a, is joined alonga diagonal folding score 29 to the securing ap 7a of the end wallelement 6a.

A handle reinforcing element 30 is formed as an extension of thestructural element 14h and is foldable therewith upon a folding score 31aligned with the folding score 12b of the separator strap 11b. Thestructural element 14a is foldable upon a folding score 32 aligned withthe folding score 12a of the separator strap 11a. The folding scores 31and 32 define complemental end edges of `the handle members 9a and 9b.

Diagonal cuts 33a and 33b which extend between the folding scores 5a',8a and 5b', 8b of the end wall elements 6a' and 6b respectively, serveto sever these elements for pivotal or hinging movement relative to thehandle members 9a and 9b upon erection of the carton to usable form.Similar diagonal cu-ts '34a and 34b serve to sever the structuralelements 14a and 14b from the end` wall elements 6a and 6b.

Having reference to FIGS. la and lb, it will be seen that the form ofthe blanks comprising the elements from which the transverse partitionmembers are provided, and which constitute an example of one preferredembodiment thereof each includes a pair 35a, 35b (FIG. la), and 36a, 35h(FIG. 1b), of such members, the members 35a and 35b being separable upona line of fracture composed of a cut 37 extending inwardly from itsupper edge and a row` of spaced perforations 38, and the members 36a and36h being separable upon a similar line of fracture composed of the cut39 and row of spaced perforations 46.

These dual elements comprising the transverse partition members 35a,35h, and 36a, Sb are of such size that they may be formed from the scrapnormally discarded in the blanking out of cartons, and it will be notedthat at least one of the elements may be formed from the scrap discardedfrom the space lying between the end wall sections 6a and 6b and theadjacent edge of the bottom Wall la, 1b, FIG. l.

The procedure for assembling the blank elements of FIGS. l, la and 1b tocompleted fiat-folded form (FIGS. 6 and 7) from which it may be erectedto usable carrier form (FIGS. 8 and 9) is preferably in a plurality ofsuccessive folding and gluing steps all of which are capable of beingperformed by known types of automatic machines with no more than theadjustments and substitutions of parts of such machines which arenecessary for `their adaptation to any special folding and gluing job.

Referring to FIGS. l to 7 by which an understanding of `the assemblyprocedure from flat blank to fiat-folded and glued carton may beobtained, it will be seen (FIG. 1 and 2) that, with adhesive applied inthe areas of the partition straps 11a and 11b substantially as shown bystippling in FIG. 1, the transverse partition elements 35a, 35b and 36a,36b are affixed thereto with their aforesaid upper edges in substantialalignment, respectively, with the cuts 10a and lb, and with their linesof cleavage in substantial alignment with, and overlying, the foldingscores 12a and 12b as shown in FIG. 2. It will be noted that, althoughonly the partition members 35a and 36a are thus adhesively aiiixed, thetwo elements in which these members are comprised will thus be properlypositioned for subsequent assembly operations. Next with adhesiveapplied to the structural elements 14a, 14b and 30, and to the partitionstraps 11a and 11b', as shown by the stippling in FIG. 2, the elements14a, 14b and 30 are folded upon their scores 32 and 31, respectively,over upon, and secured to, the inner faces of the handle members 9a and9b, respectively, and the straps 11a and 11b' are folded on their scores12a' and 12b over upon, and secured to, the transverse partition members35b and 36b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3. Then, with adhesiveapplied -to the stippled areas (FIG. 3) of the flaps 7a and 7b of theend wall sections 6a and 6b, these end wall sections are folded upontheir scores 5a and 5b and the tiaps 7a and 7b are carried with them andsecured, fiat-folded upon the elements 14a and 14b (FIG. 4) in the areasof the adhesive applied to these aps. It will be noted, also, that thisfolding of the end wall section 6a and its flap 7a carries with it thelongitudinal partition panel 24.

Now, the end wall flaps 7a and 7b are folded upon their respectivefolding scores 8a and 8b so as to overlie their end wall elements 6a and6b (FIG. 4) and, with adhesive applied to a limited edge area of lthe ap7a', and to an exposed portion of the structural element 14a in the areaindicated by stippling in FIG. 4, the partition panel 24 is folded uponits diagonal folding score 29 to the position shown in FIG. 5 in whichthe adhesive applied at the edge of the iiap 7a and on the exposedportion of the element 14a will cause it to adhere to such flap andelement.

Thereafter, with adhesive applied to the exposed surfaces ofthe parts9a, 21, 7a, 7a', 28 and 14b, and to that edge of the panel 24 whichoverlies the flap 7a', all as indicated by stippling in FIG. 5, the thusfar assembled and secured blank is folded upon the median folding score2 of the bottom wall Ifr-lb to bring the two halves of the blank inregister and effect their adhesively secured assembly. Finally, withadhesive applied to the exposed surface of the linish flap 19, FIG. 6,this ap is folded upon its folding score 20 over, and affixed to, thethen underlying extension 21 of the handle member 9a, as shown in FIG.7, t0 complete the lla-t-folded assembly of the carton.

To erect the flat-folded carton to usable form, FIGS. S and 9, it ismerely necessary to apply pressure to the folded edges A and B, FIGS. 6and 7, until the carton is squared up, and to engage the adhesivelycombined hooks Z2a22b of the flaps 7a and 7b with the edge 23 of thebottom wall.

As thus set up it will be apparent that the combined partition andhandle member extends medially longitudinally of the carton and itspartition-forming portion produced by the panel 24 and portions of theelements 14a and Mb, together with the flaps 7a, 7a' and 7b, 7b' towhich they `are all adhesively connected, extends lto the bottom wall ofthe carton and serves adequately to separate the rows of bottles at itsopposite faces.

Also, during erection of the carton the pivoting of the partition straps11a, 11a' and 11b, 11b' will carry with them the transverse partitionmembers 35a, 35b and 36a, 36b, respectively, which part from theirrespective integral elements along the respective lines a cleavage 37-38and 39-40 due to the pull applied to them as a result of such pivotingof the straps to which theyeare afxed. Thus, when the carton is erected,these transverse partition members will divide the longitudinalcompartments at opposite sides of the longitudinal partition and handlemember into three cells each in which the six packaged bottles Will beseparated from each other by full depth partitions both longitudinallyand transversely of the carton, and the disadvantages incident to theircontact, such as defacement of labels, noise and the like, obviated.

vIt will be noted, moreover, that, in the application of adhesive toparts to be joined during the flat-folding assembly of the blank,adhesive is applied only to those `areas of the straps 11a, 11a and 11b,IIb to which the transverse partition members 35a, 3Sb and 36a, 36h areattached. Hence, when the carton is squared up these straps are free toassume their functional positions between the side Walls 3a and 3b andthe opposite faces of the combined partition and handle member by free'hinging or pivoting upon their folding scores 12a, 13a; L

12a', 15a, llZb, 13b; lZb, 15b, carrying with them their respectivetransverse partition members, as just previously described.

Obviously, when the hook 22a-22h of the end wall structure is disengagedfrom the edge 23 of the bottom wall, the carton may be re-collapsed tohat-folded condition, i-f desired.

Due to the rigid assembly of the elements of the longitudinal partitionmember, and its connection With the end Wall flaps 7a, 7a' and 7b, 7bwhich, in the erected carrier (FIGS. 8 and 9), form parts of thispartition member, and due, also, to the rigid, multiple-reinforcednature of the handle member, the carrier is of extremely sturdyconstruction and serves Well for carrying the relatively heavy load ofbottled beverages or the like for which it is designed.

Moreover, in view of the fact that the carrier of the invention, whileembodying a combined partition and handle member of full length andheight, and full depth transverse partition members applied to thepartition straps, can be constructed `from a sheet material blank ofrelatively no greater area than that required for similar carriers whichdo not provide these several full partition elements, and may beproduced on automatic machinery of known type generally adapted for themanufacture and assembly of such last named carriers, the carrier of theinvention has advantages of function and economy of production which areattractive to paekagers of bottled goods.

Although the use of transverse partition members formed in the integertype shown in FIGS. la and lb has advantages, particularly as related tothe functioning of a given type of assembling and gluing machine, ashereinbefore particularly described, these members may be so formed asto adapt them to other modes of assembly with the primary carton blanksand to the functioning of other types of assembling and gluing machines.

For example, as shown in FIG. lc, the transverse partition members maybe in the form of separate cards individually and simultaneously, orsuccessively, applied, by gluing, to the partition straps 11a, 11a. and1lb, 11b', and, as shown in FIG. ld, these lmembers may be formed fromcards which are double the size of the individual members and may beseparated along medial lines m by the assembling and gluing machineprior to, or simultaneously with, their glue application to therespective partition straps. Also, it is anticipated that the transversepartition members may be formed from continuous strips of proper sheetmaterial fed and appro priately severed and applied by the assemblingand gluing machine.

Thus, although in the description of the assembly practice hereinbeforegiven, and illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 to 7, particular reference ismade to the use of transverse partition elements of t-he type shown inFIGS. la and lb, it will be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto except as hereinafter particularly claimed, but rather that theassembly practice may be variously modified to adapt it to differentrequirements, such, for example, as may be dictated by the type oftransverse partition members employed and the functional characteristicsof a particular assembling and gluing machine.

Various changes and modications including, and in addition to, thoseparticularly described, are considered to be Within the principle of theinvention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a carrier carton formed from sheet material such as paperboard:and of the type capable of being erected yfrom flat-folded condition tocellular form by hinging action of its parts, a bottom wall, side wallsextending upwardly from the longitudinal side edges of said bottom wall,end wall elements joined to the opposite ends of said side walls, .acombined handle member and longitudinal partition panel disposedmedially of and in spaced relation to said side Walls and effecting acontinuous rigid interconnection between said end walls, said handlemember serving to divide the interior of the carton into two spaceslongitudinally thereof, partition straps disposed at opposite sides ofsaid handle member and having their opposite ends integral with saidside walls `and handle member and hingedly connected respectively withsaid side walls and handle member and extending transverselytherebetween to divide each of the said spaces into a plurality ofcompartments, and a transverse partition member initially separate fromthe aforesaid carton parts and attached to each of said straps andcarried only `thereby independently of said side walls and said combinedhandle member and longitudinal partition panel and extending from therespective straps downwardly into proximity to the bottom Wall, saidpartition members being independently movable with said straps inresponse to hinging movement of the straps upon erection of the carton.

2. `In a carrier carton formed from sheet material such las paperboardand of the type capable of being erected Ifrom flat-folded condition tocellular form by hinging action of its parts, a bottom wall, side wallsextending upwardly from the longitudinal side edges of said bottom wall,end Wall elements joined to the opposite ends of said side Walls andprovided with complemental connecting flaps joined together medially ofthe bottom Wall to unite said end wall elements in pairs at oppositeends of the 'bottom and side walls, a handle member disposed medially ofand in spaced relation to said side walls longitudinally thereof andconnected in rigid Vassembly with said connecting flaps at opposite endsof the carton and serving to divide the interior of the carton into twospaces longitudinally thereof, partition straps disposed at oppositesides of said handle member and having their opposite ends integral withsaid side walls and handle member and hingedly connected respectivelywith said side Walls and handle member and extending therebetweentransversely of the carton to divide each of the said spaces into aplurality of compartments, a transverse partition member separate fromthe aforesaid carton parts and attached to each of said straps andcarried only therebylindependently of said side walls and handle memberand extending from the respective straps downwardly into proximity tothe bottom wall, said partition memers being movable with said straps inresponse to hinging movement of the straps upon erection of the carton,and a longitudinal partition panel rigidly joined to said handle memberand to the said connecting flaps at both ends of the' carton andextending from said handle member downwardly into proximity to saidbottom wall, said longitudinal partition panel extending mediallylongitudinally between said side walls in vertical alignment with saidhandle member, said partition straps, transverse partition members,handle member and longitudinal partition panel serving to providesubstantially full depth separation of said compartments.

3. Multipart sheet material at blank means for a carrier carton of thetype capable of being erected from flat-folded condition to cellularIform by hinging action of its parts, including a primary blank providedwith cuts and folding scores defining a substantially rectangular bottomwall, side walls joined to the longitudinal edges of said bottom wall,end wall sections joined to the opposite ends of said side walls, eachof said end wall sections terminating in a connecting flap, complementalultimately joined handle-formng members olfstanding from the ultimate-top edges of said side walls, transverse partition straps defined fromsaid side walls and joined thereto and to said handle-forming members attheir opposite ends respectively on score means providing hingeconnections with said side walls and handle-forming members, andsecondary blank means formed as elements initially separate from saidprimary blank and comprising transverse partition members independent ofsaid side walls and handle-forming members aflixe'd only to saidpartition straps for hinging movement with said straps and adapted to becarried thereby into disposition transversely of the carton at opposite`faces of the ultimately joined handle-forming members by hingingmovement of said straps upon erection of the assembled blank to usableform.

4. Carton blank means as dened in claim 3, in which each of thesecondary blank means is an integer including two of said transversepartition members defined from each other by a line of fracture.

5. Carton blank means as defined in claim 4, in which the transversepartition straps of each side wall are arranged in pairs and saidsecondary blank integer is atiixed by one of its partition members toone partition strap of one side wall pair thereof `and is thus locatedupon predetermined folding of said primary blank for attachment of itsother partition member to the other strap of said side wall pair.

6. Multipart sheet material at blank means for a carrier carton of thetype capable of being erected lfrom fiat-folded condition to cellularform by hinging action of its parts, including a primary blank providedwtih cuts and folding scores defining a substantially rectangular bottomwall, side walls joined to the longitudinal edges of said bottom wall,end wall sections joined to the opposite ends of said side walls, eachof said end wall sections terminating in a connecting flap, complementalultimately joined handle-forming members offstanding from the ultimatetop edges of said side walls, transverse partition straps defined fromsaid side walls and joined thereto and to said handle-forming members attheir opposite ends respectively on score means providing hingeconnections with said side walls and handle-forming members, secondaryblank means formed `as elements initially separate from said primaryblank and comprising transverse partition members independent of saidside walls and handle-forming members atiixed only to said partitionstraps for hinging movement with said straps and adapted to be carriedthereby into disposition transversely of the carton at opposite faces ofthe ultimately joined handleforming members -by hinging movement of saidstraps upon erection of the assembled blank to usable form, and apartition panel disposed between the ultimate ybottom edges of two endwall sections at one end of said bottom wall and freed from said endWall sections and bottom wall by certain of said cuts, said panel beingconnected to the connecting ap of one of the adjacent end wall sectionsalong a diagonal folding score and being yfoldable upon such score intoflat-folded relation to the adjacent side wall with which the end wallsection of its connecting flap is attached.

References Cited in the fiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,026,525 Korte lan. 7, 1936 2,598,920 Keith .lune 3, 1952 2,709,535Bergstein May 3l, 1955 2,846,114 Ringler Aug. 5, 1958 2,957,602 RyderOct. 25, 1960

